Screening machine



Aug. 6, 1935, D. coLE sbnmmue MACHINE Filed April 12, 1932 attorneys Patented Aug. 6, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention pertains to shaking screen apparatus, especially to the design, manufacture and application of the cover, wherein hard spring steel wires disposed in parallel, correctly-spaced relation to each other, are firmly held in that relation by cleats of malleable metal providing excess volume above the wires to last and securely hold them until theyare worn out.

It is common practice to construct slotted opening screen covers by using hard, straight wires or rods, held in parallel relation to each other by the conventional shoot or tie-wires, and since the tie-wire material must be soft enough to crimp and weave, it becomes the limiting factor in the life of the cover. Relatively soft shoot wires, bent and woven under and over the hard warp wires, present knuckles or knobs subject to abrasion of the material passing over them, and are soon worn through, destroying the cover long before the hard warp wires, which constitute the screening elements, are worn out.

It is a prime object of this invention to do away with the knobbed and easily destroyed tiewires, substituting clinched cleats presenting enough volume of metal in contact with the feed to stand the abrasion longer than the hard cross wires which the clinch cleats hold together, whereby the full life of the hard spring wires may be utilized, thereby greatly prolonging the life of the cover.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide novel fastening means for the ends of the wires, whereby they are held firmly in the screen frame and with all of the wires under substantially equal tension.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description when taken with the appended drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view of the screen;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the screen;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial view of adjacent clinch plates showing wires held therein;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the wire holding clamps; and

Fig. 5 is a partial perspective view of a modified form of screen in which wires are disposed in two planes and held by one clinch plate.

Referring to the drawing, the screen frame comprises two spaced side members II, II, supported by cross members l3. As illustrated, the former are Z-bars and the latter T-bars. Longitudinal bridge beams ll are supported on the cross members, being retained in their respective positions by angle brackets Ii. Preferably, the

bridge beams are progressively higher from the sides to the center, so that the screen surface is crowned.

The wires or rods l6 are spaced apart a predetermined distance and are parallel to each 5 other. In the present form of screen they are arranged in groups to provide interchangeable panels, each of which may be removed or replaced without disturbing the other panels making up the screen. The parallel relation of the wires is 10 maintained by securing the wire in clinch plates I'I having equi-distant slots l8 on the under side thereof, the metal of the plates adjacent the slots being swaged over the wires, as indicated at 19, to hold the wires firmly in place.

Sumcient metal is provided above the center lines of the wires to insure long life to the clinch plates, it being evident that there will have to. be considerable wear from abrasion before the wires can be separated from the plates. The clinch plates correspond in length with the width of a panel and their ends are so formed that the distance between the marginal wires of adjacent panels, is the same as that between the other wires in each panel.

These ends are bent over, as shown at 2| in Fig. 3, a small gap being left between adjacent plates. Since the swaging of the plates tends to lengthen them, it is apparent that the short lengths of plates may be easily controlled by means of the multiple joints so as to prevent progressive lengthening of the screen surface, as would occur were the clinch plate a singlemember extending the entire length of the screen.

In forming a panel, a number of wires of substantially the same length are laid in the slotsv of several parallel clinch plates and secured therein by suitable upsetting or swaging operation. They are then bent simultaneously in a press to form hooks at the ends thereof, as shown at 22 in Fig. 1.

To secure the panels thus formed to the sides of the screen, the means illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 are provided. A pipe or bar 23 is welded or otherwise suitably secured to the inner flange of each of the side members II and 42, forming a support for the transverse wires. The lower flange 24 of removable clamp plate 26, formed from a standard modified channel, cooperates with the hooked ends of wires IS in a panel, and the clamp is then drawn against the side members by bolt 21 and nut 28, thus placing the wires under tension. The upper flange 25 of the clamp plate is convex or provided with converging inclined surfaces 32, so that the clamp adjusts itself angularly about its center when nut fidlis tightened. The wires are thus placed under substantially uniform tension.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, clinch plate II is provided along its upper as well as on its -lower edge with spaced grooves it, til". Those on the upper edge are spaced farther apart than those on the lower edge, providing seats for wires E6 in two planes and producing two screens having different size meshes. Oversize material is prevented from passing to the lower screen, the latter permitting only the finer material to pass. The upper edge of the clinch plate is protected by a relatively narrow plate 29 placed flush against plate H and projecting above the said upper edge to divert material over the larger clinch plate. The lower wires are secured to the frame in a manner similar tothat shown in Fig. 1, the upper wires being maintained in parallel relation by the slots in the upper edge of the clinch plate.

A preferred form of the invention has been illustrated and described, but it is intended that the screen be subject to modification as circumstances demand.

What is claimed is:-

1. In a screen, a frame; a plurality of transverse spaced parallel wires secured to said frame; longitudinal metal spacing plates, said spacing plates having excess volume above the wires and slots on the under side thereof to accommodate the wires, the metal adjacent each slot being swaged over a wire; and longitudinal beams disposed beneath and supporting said plates.

2. In a screen, a frame; a plurality of screen panels, each of said panels comprising a plurality of transverse spaced parallel wires and spaced longitudinal metal plates having excess volume above the wires and slots on the lower edge thereof, said wires being seated in said slots and the metal adjacent the slots being swaged over said wires; and means for securing said wires to the sides of said frame.

3. In a screen, a frame having side members; a plurality of spaced parallel transverse wires each having a hooked end; channel-shaped plates having upper and lower flanges, said lower flanges cooperating with the hooked ends of said wires, the edge of each of said upper flanges beara plurality of spaced transverse ing against a side member and means for drawing said plates toward said side members.

4. In a screen, a frame having side members; a plurality of screen panels, each of said panels comprising a plurality of spaced parallel trans verse wires, each wire having a hooked end; a plurality of channel-shaped clamping members, a flange of each of said members cooperating with the hooked ends of the wires in one panel, the other go of each clamping member having its edge bearing against a side member; and means coacting with said clamping member for drawing said panel toward one of said side members.

5. In a screen, a frame having side members; a plurality of spaced parallel transverse wires, each having a hooked portion at each end thereof; a removable flanged member contiguous to and parallel with each side of the frame, a flange of said removable member cooperating with the hooked ends of the wires, another flange of said removable member having its edge bearing against a side member; and means for drawing said removable members toward the side membersto place the transverse wires under tension.

6. In a screen, a vertical spacing plate having spaced slots on its upper and lower edges; and two series of spaced parallel wires, one series being disposed in a plane above the other series'of wires, the wires in one series being secured in the upper slots, the wires in the other series being secured in the lower slots.

7. In a screen, a vertical spacing plate having slots on its upper and lower edges; and two series of spaced parallel wires, one series being disposed in a plane above the other series of wires, the wires in one series being secured in the upper slots, the wires in the other series being secured in the lower slots, the slots in said upper edge being spaced apart a distance greater than the spacing of the slots in said lower edge.

8. In a screen, a frame having side members;

wires each having a hooked end; channel-shaped plates having upper and lower flanges, one of said flanges having a substantially convex face bearing against a. side member, the other of said flanges cooperating with the hooked ends of said wires; and' means for drawing said plates toward said side members.

DA COLE. 

